Retention of Anatomical Detail

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to determine the retention rate of anatomical detail in physical therapist students who had taken a human anatomy course based on computerassisted instruction and models and compare their retention rates with those in the literature. The subjects were 28 physical therapist students enrolled in their first professional semester. A test instrument was administered before the students took their required anatomy course, at the conclusion of the course, 6 months after the course was completed, and 1 year after the course was completed. Our study showed that the students retained information on anatomical detail at both 6 months and 1 year after the anatomy course. These observations are in contrast to those previously reported in the physical therapy literature, but they are in agreement with reports from other disciplines. Considering the cost of a dissection laboratory, if the method of instruction makes no difference in student retention, then computer software, models, and other alternatives that save considerable expense are valuable. Key Words: Anatomy, Computer-assisted instruction, Memory, Retention, Teaching methodology. INTROUCTION A substantial knowledge base grounded in human anatomy is necessary for most medical personnel, especially physical therapists. Many studies have investigated which methods are most effective and efficient to teach the details of human anatomy to students. Most of these studies have been done on anatomy courses for dental, dental hygiene, and medical students, and most have used either course grades or student satisfaction as the outcome measure. Very few studies have looked at retention of anatomical detail over time as the important outcome. However, retention of anatomical detail is critical for ongoing clinical practice. It is important because both student and practitioner must recall pertinent information as theory is applied to specific patient problems. The practitioner must use anatomical reasoning to perform a number of clinical tasks. According to Rosse, Anatomical reasoning integrates an understanding of three-dimensional geometry of the body and its parts...with an understanding of functional, developmental, pathological, and other relationships among anatomic entities.1(p4) Several authors have observed inadequate retention of specific anatomical detail in various situations, a problem that may affect the efficiency or effectiveness of a clinician's practice. For example, Scott2 commented on how medical students rapidly lose specific anatomical knowledge, Ilgenfritz et a13 described inadequate retention of anatomy in medical students in their third-year surgical clerkship, and Rossel commented that traditional methods in anatomy have substantial shortcomings for representing and integrating the domains of anatomical reasoning. Lake,4 in his discussion of tutoring physical therapist students in anatomy, referred to the decline in grades in the professional anatomy course compared with the prerequisite anatomy course, which, in part, could be accounted for by lack of retention. Two groups of researchers have looked at retention of anatomical detail within their own curricula and reported 1-year retention rates. Fiebert and Waggoners conducted a study describing physical therapist student retention of anatomical detail after a dissection anatomy course. They showed that the students had a statistically significant decrease in retention of anatomical detail after 13 months (from 89.6% immediately after their course to 59% after 13 months), with no significant change after 23 months (71%). In another study, Huber6 reported a mean retention rate of 55.6% in medical students 1 year after their anatomy course had been completed. There have been several other studies that have compared learning of material after different methodologies were used in different sections of a course or between years that the course was offered, but no retention rates were reported (Barkers for physical therapist students, Gastons for nursing students, Gilmore and Pauly9 for medical students, and Parker and Romberg10 for dental hygiene students). …